Warp stop-motion for looms



No. 619,604. Patented Feb. [4, I899.

' J. H. NORTHROP.

WARP S TOP MOTION FOR LOOMS.

(Anplication filed June 13, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. NORTHROP, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DRAPER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE AND PORTLAND, MAINE.

WARP STOP-MOTION FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,604, dated February 14, 1899.

' Application filed June 13, 1898. Serial No- 683,268- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. NORTHROP, of Hopedale, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Im provement in Warp Stop-Motions for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to that type of warpstop-motion mechanism for looms wherein one or more of a series of warp-controlled actuating-detectors cooperate with a normallyvibrating feeler, upon breakage or undue slackness of the warp-threads, to control the stopping mechanism for the loom. One form of such mechanism is shown and described in United States Patent No. 594,341, dated November 23, 1897, and therein, as in other similar devices, the feeler is vibrated by connections between it and a shaft at the lower part of the loom.

I have herein shown and described a practical embodiment of my invention wherein the feeler is actuated very directly from a shaft located at the upper part of the loom, thus locating the mechanism in an easily-accessible position.

I have also materially simplified the construction and made the operation more direct with a greater responsiveness and acceleration in the action of the mechanism.

The actuating-detectors may also serve as heddles, or they may be mounted independently of the shed-forming mechanism, so that my invention is restricted to neither construction, although for the sake of convenience in illustration I have herein shown the former.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, taken at right angles to the crank-shaft, of a portion of a loom with one embodiment of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the crank-shaft having been turned part way around, however, to better illustrate some of the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail similar to Fig. 1, but showing one of the actuating-detectors in abnormal position and the operation of the loom-stoppin g means by or through the stoppage of the feeler. Fig.

4 is a detail view of a part of the feeler-actuating means; and Fig. 5 is a modified arrangement of the stopping means for the loom, to be described.

The loom-frame A of usual construction is provided with the crank-shaft B, mounted in suitable journal boxes or bearings 13*, one of which is shown in Fig. 2, the arms connecting the lay with the cranks B being omitted.

Usual stopping means is provided, one member of which, the shipper-lever S, being shown in Figs. 1 and 5 held by the usual notched plate when the loom is running.

An apertured casting A, bolted to the loom sides, has a flat upright web portion A extended across the loom to form a separator for the lower ends of the series of stop-motion actuating-detectors h, two such series being herein shown, as in the patent referred to,

and herein said detectors are shown as heddles carried by and having a limited vertical movement relative to the harness frames, which latter are reciprocated in any desirable manner.

Rock-shafts d and e, located below and at the front and rear of the separator A are mounted in suitable bearings 5, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) to which rock-shafts are attached by suitable arms feelers (1 and e shown as angle-bars, and which may be notched along their acting edges, as in the patent referred to. These feelers are vibratable toward and from the separator below the two series of detectors h h, and in order to transmit rocking movement of one shaft from the other they are provided, respectively, with intermeshing segment-gears d c, Fig. 1, thus insuring vibration of the feelers in unison.

Interposition of an abnormally-positioned detector, as M, Fig. 3, between the separator and the cooperating feeler e will stop the vibration of the latter, the warp-threads w, passing through the detectors, normally maintaining them above the path of the feelers.

Herein I have shown the means for nor- 5 mally vibrating the feelers as driven from the upperor crank shaft of the loom, which construction is advantageous for many reasons, among which are the easy accessibility of the parts and the more direct and rapid action of the mechanism in operating to stop the loom when necessary.

An eccentric C is secured to the crankshaft B, preferably between one of the cranks B and the shaftjournal box for convenience of access, and also because it is beyond the warps, obviating any liability to throw oil thereupon.

The eccentric-strap O is secured to or forms a part of an actuating member O (shown separately in Fig. 4,) said actuator being shown as a thin casting, substantially oval in form and set on edge, as it were, slightly offset at 0 to enable it to move through the opening in the casting A. This actuator 0 will be reciprocated by the rotation of the eccentric, and it can also be rocked or tipped about the latter as a center, the reciprocatory movement being utilized to normally vibrate .the feeler, while the rocking movement is effected by or through stoppage of the feeler to cause the actuator O to reciprocate in its abnormal path and thereby effect the operation of the stopping means for the loom.

Referring to Fig. 4, an irregular slot 0 is made in the actuator O extending from the lower rear corner upward and forward, the inner end of the slot being preferably rounded, as at c, with its upper edge 0 convexed to form a cam-surface, the said slot receiving a pin or projection 20, extended laterally from a bent arm 6 securely attached to one of the rock-shafts, as e, by a suitable set-screw 6. The end of the arm e may be enlarged, as at e, and flattened to form a lateral bearing or support for the fiat face of the actuator O the actuating means for the feeler and the feeler being thus connected by a slot-and-pin connection.

Under normal conditions the weight of the actuator 0* will cause it to be supported by the projection 20 in the rounded end 0' of the slot, as in Fig. 1, the action of gravity being thus utilized to a certain extent to efiect the movement of the feelers toward the detectors.

In Fig. 1 the actuator is shown as fully forward, and rotation of the crank-shaft will cause the actuator to be moved to the right or rearwardly to thereby draw back the arm 6 and rock the shafts d and c to move the feelers away from the detectors.

jection a (see dotted lines,) and when the actuator is reciprocated in its normal path the projection 0 will not engage a hunter f, forming a part of the stopping mechanism of the loom. When moving in an abnormal path, however, as described, due to stoppage of the feeler by engagement with an abnormally-positioned detector, the actuator will engage and move the hunter f from dotted to full line position, as in Fig. 3, said bunter being adj ustably attached, as by a bolt 9, to a link f, slotted at f to travel on a guide-stud 10 on the loom-frame. A knock-off lever f is fulcrumed at f on the loom-frame to bear against the shipper-lever and throw it out of its holding-notch when the loom is to be stopped, and the link f is bent at f ,Fig. 1, and carried outside of the loom side and pivotally connected at f with the arm f of the knockoff lever, to operate the latter when the link f is moved to the left by the actuator O as described.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the usual protector mechanismof a loom arranged to cooperate with my invention by mounting on the usual frog F of the protector mechanism a hunter f which latter is made long enough to be brought into position to be properly engaged by the actuator (J when tipped or rocked to move in an abnormal path.

By the construction shown it will be seen that the number of parts is reduced. The feeler-vibrating means also serves to directly engage and move the bunter or equivalent device of the stopping means for the loom. All the parts are readily accessible, and they are quickly responsive to act under abnormal conditions to thereby effect prompt stoppage of the loom.

To prevent undue separation of the feelers, one of the rock-shafts has anarm 30 attached thereto (see Fig. 3) to come against the other rock-shaft and act as a stop to the rocking movement of both shafts.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement of parts as herein shown, for obviously they may be varied or rearranged in various particulars with out departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a loom, warp-stop-motion mechanism comprising a series of warp-controlled actuating-detectors, a codperating feeler, adapted to be stopped by engagement with an abnormally-positioned detector, and means to normally vibrate the feeler, said means including a reciprocating member adapted to be rocked by or through stoppage of the feeler, combined with stopping means for the loom operated by the reciprocating movement of said member when the latter is rocked.

2. In a loom, warp-stop-motion mechanism comprising a series of warp-controlled actuating-detectors, a cooperating feeler adapted to be stopped by engagement with an abnormally-positioned detector, and means to normally vibrate the feeler, said means including a member reciprocated by the crank-shaft of the loom and adapted to be rocked thereon by or through stoppage of the feeler, combined withstopping means for the loom directly engaged and operated by reciprocatory movement of said member when the latter is rocked.

3. In a loom, warp-stop-motion mechanism comprising a series of warp-controlled actuating detectors, a cooperating feeler adapted to be stopped by engagement with an abnormally-positioned detector, a reciprocating actuator having a slot and pivotally mounted on the crank-shaft of the loom, an arm vibratable with the feeler and having a projection to enter the slot, reciprocatory movement of said actuator normally vibrating the feeler, stoppage of the latter rocking said actuator from its normal path, and stopping means for the loom, including a hunter to be engaged and moved by the actuator when in its abnormal position.

4. In a loom, warp-stop-motion mechanism comprising a series of warp-controlled actuating detectors, a cooperating feeler, the crank-shaft, an eccentric thereon between the crank-arm and journal-box, an actuator connected with and to be reciprocated by said eccentric, and connections between said actuator and the feeler, to normally vibrate the latter, combined with stopping means for the loom, operated by engagement with said actuator when moved into abnormal position by stoppage of the feeler.

5. In a warp-stop-motion mechanism for looms, a series of warp-controlled actuatingdetectors,a cooperating feeler, means, including a reciprocating, pivotally-mounted mem- 3 5 her to normally vibrate the feeler, a slot-andpin connection between said member and the feeler, stoppage of the feeler by engagement with an abnormally-positioned detector rockin g the said member, and stopping mechanism detectors, a rock-shaft, a feeler mounted thereon to cooperate with said detectors and to be stopped by engagement therewith when abnormally positioned, an actuator to normally rock said shaft and thereby vibrate the feeler, stoppage of the latter causing said ac- 5o tuator to move in an abnormal path, and stopping means for the loom, including a bunter located in the abnormal path of and to b engaged by said actuator.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in-the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. NORTHROP.

Witnesses:

A. H. COUSINS, GEo. OTIS DRAPER. 

